On the day of the trade deadline, the Yankees stood 58-44, six games ahead in the AL East. From a standing perspective, dramatic roster moves seemed unnecessary. The team had holes at second base and in the starting rotation, but even those weaknesses didn’t appear dire. And so general manager Brian Cashman pulled the trigger […]
Author: Alex Putterman
Who will play second base for the Yankees in the wild card game?
Now that the Yankees have clinched a playoff berth, attention turns to their wild card-game roster. We can guess at the composition of most of that 25-man roster, beginning with about 16 sure things: C Brian McCann C John Ryan Murhphy 1B Greg Bird SS Didi Gregorius 3B Chase Headley OF Carlos Beltran OF Jacoby […]
For the 2015 Yankees, everyone has been better than projected
To view the Yankees as a contender entering 2015, you had to squint really hard and continually repeat the word, “if.” It seemed New York had a short to contend, only as long as just about everything went right. That meant Alex Rodriguez contributed, Mark Teixeira bounced back, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann improved on […]
Has Alex Rodriguez been worth his salary in 2015?
Alex Rodriguez’s contract is the first that pops to mind when you think of giant, regrettable albatrosses clogging MLB checkbooks. The third baseman-turned designated hitter entered this season owed a whopping $61 million over three years despite no guarantee of even making the Yankees’ roster. So when Rodriguez got off to a nice start in […]
Evaluating Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada’s Hall of Fame chances
Last week I looked at the Hall of Fame chances for members of the 2015 Yankees and identified several current players who appear perched on the Cooperstown borderline. Meanwhile, this weekend shone a spotlight on a pair of retired Yankees whose career numbers also put them at the Hall’s doorstep: Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte. […]
Is Dellin Betances the best reliever in baseball?
Dellin Betances has been the best relief pitcher in baseball this season. That’s difficult to contest. The Yankees right-hander has thrown the second most innings (64) out of the bullpen of anyone in baseball, and among pitchers with at least 40 innings on the season, he ranks second in ERA (1.13), first in FIP (1.67), […]
Do the 2015 Yankees Have a Future Hall of Famer?
The 1992 Yankees finished 76-86, fourth in a seven-team division. They had one regular hitter (Danny Tartabull) with an OPS above .800 and one regular starting pitcher (Melido Perez) with an ERA under 4. That team was the last Yankee team to end a season under .500 and also the last to not have a […]
Didi Gregorius using all fields during second-half hot streak
CHICAGO — With one out and the bases loaded in the fourth inning of the Yankees August 2 game against the White Sox, Didi Gregorius dug into the left-hand batter’s box against Jeff Samardzija. New York led 1-0 already, but certainly craved some insurance against the tough Chicago right-hander. On a 2-1 count, Samardzija delivered a […]
The Yankees’ renewed commitment to youth
CHICAGO — Five days before the July 31 trade deadline, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees had four “untouchable” prospects. Not only was Brian Cashman unwilling to part with blue-chippers Luis Severino and Aaron Judge, he was apparently holding firm on Greg Bird and Jorge Mateo as well. So instead of reining in a […]
Chris Young is the Yankees’ lefty-killer, whether he likes it or not
CHICAGO — Chris Young doesn’t like labels, not even the one that has earned him consistent playing time in a crowded Yankee outfield. “As a player, you never really label yourself in any kind of way. I don’t label myself as a guy who crushes lefties,” Young said Saturday. “At the same token I don’t label […]